This charming late 19th-century oil painting by British artist Rowland Holyoake (1861-1928) depicts a girl carrying wildflowers while wearing a straw hat decorated with the same. It was previously valued by Christie�s, London, at �5,000-�7,000. Holyoake was a Royal Academy trained painter of portraits, scenes and landscapes.Clutching a freshly picked curated posy of spritely blooms, she�s perhaps looking across the garden for further additions. Her hat, adorned with delicate poppies and other flora, is decorated beautifully. She�s at home amid the resplendent delights of nature.Born in London, Rowland Holyoake�s father was the distinguished figure painter, William Holyoake (1834-1894), a regular exhibitor at the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) and a popular curator at Royal Academy Schools. Given this, it�s conceivable that, from an early age, the young man was taught the rudiments of drawing. His father had moved to the capital from Birmingham, where it�s likely that he worked in the circle of John Breakspeare (1856-1914), the still life painter. He furnished Rowland with the middle name of �Breakspeare�, possibly as a tribute.Following the death of Rowland�s mother, he was raised for a time by his uncle Austin Holyoake, a painter and publisher, while his father moved into a boarding house. This coincided with his enrolment at the Royal Academy Schools. In 1881, his precocious skill as a draughtsman was rewarded when the Royal Academy accepted one of his chalk drawings for display via �The National Art Competition�, which was followed a year later by a silver medal. A critic described him as a �worthy son of a worthy father� who �is steadily advancing in his profession�. In 1884, at just 23, he debuted at the Royal Academy with �For The Banquet� and continued to exhibit a further 22 works over the course of 20 years. He was also shown frequently at the RBA.He developed a reputation for both portraits and scenes depicting predominantly female ...